The Dallas Cowboys are set to get a huge bump on defense. The team is officially activating star cornerback DaRon Bland of IR, and he is set to finally make his 2024 debut.
Bland has been sidelined for the first eight weeks of the season due to a street fracture he received in training camp. Despite nearly making a comeback in Week 6, Bland suffered an injury setback and had to remain on IR until he was fully healthy.
Bland can now rejoin the permitted alongside fellow All-Pro corner, Trevon Diggs.
Bland had a record-breaking 2023 season, where he led the league in interceptions that were returned for a touchdown. He set the record to five, which is astounding. Bland also secured 53 solo tackles, nine interceptions, and 15 passes defended.
Bland’s spectacular year led to his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods. The young ballhawk emerged as a dangerous player in the secondary, and the Cowboys’ defense is sure to get a massive boost with him back in the lineup.
Bland being sidelined has put some added pressure on the secondary. So far through eight games, the Cowboys are ranked No. 20 in the NFL in terms of giving up passing yards. They currently give up 218.0 yards to passers.
The Cowboys have used a combination of various corners to make up for losing Bland. Caelan Carson started three games, but he has given up a 112.2 passer rating and 62.5 completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks.
Amani Oruwariye also started two games but gave up a 70.8 percent completion percentage against opposing quarterbacks. Simply put, the Cowboys have been struggling a bit without Bland in the lineup.
Now, the defense can breathe a bit of a sigh of relief, as they have their young All-Pro returning to the lineup to aid Diggs.
The Cowboys need to rebound, as they are currently 3-4 on the season after dropping their fourth loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. The secondary was tested plenty, and the tensions from the loss poured over into a situation involving Diggs and a reporter.
The reporter in question had apparently questioned the effort Diggs gave during a play in that match that led to a huge gain from tight end George Kittle. After the game ended, Diggs confronted the reporter and indicated that his comments were not welcomed or appreciated.
Naturally, not having the usual fast start is likely very upsetting to the Cowboys. They are certainly not in a terrible spot with their record, but they need to put together some wins to keep up with all the other upper-echelon teams in the NFC.
